Merry Christmas, Jessie
by NoImNotObsessed
Summary: For the Team Rocket trio, winter has been the same for years: oftentimes spent cold, lonely, and hungry. But a decision made by one may change their futures for the rest of their lives.


My hands are numb. My back aches. The pain in my legs increases with each step, threatening to topple me over any minute. We have been walking for hours. A winter snowstorm had started up a while back and that hasn't helped us at all. My cat companion groans again.

"Jessie, when d-do ya think well find our balloon? This f-fr-frostbite's biting off one of my nine lives," he whines.

I snap back at him. "We'll find it faster if you quit your complaining, Meowth. It sh-should be around here somewhere."

I give another shiver. As gorgeous as I look in it, I sometimes hate my Team Rocket uniform. Not exactly made with winter in mind, now was it? My stomach gives another yowl for the umpteenth time tonight. It's been two days since I've had anything to eat. With our hunger and this snowstorm, it'd probably be a bad idea to continue the search.

I turn to my rather quiet partner. He's normally right next to Meowth complaining, but he hasn't uttered a word in hours. "James?" I ask. No reply. Too lost in thought, from the look on his face.

"James!"

His head pops up to look at me. "Hmm?"

I have to yell over the wind. "We can't go on like this. We'll die out here before we find our supplies. Our best bet is to look for shelter somewhere."

"Do you think there's any kind of town nearby?" he asks.

We both turn to Meowth. I point to a nearby tree. "Do you think you can climb that tree and see where we are?"

The cat pouts. "Why do I always hafta do the climbing?"

I just about kick him up the tree. " _ **Because we'll die out here if you don't!**_ " I shout. He is up the tree without another word.

Waiting for Meowth to come back down, I step closer to James to try and conserve body heat. He seems to tense up at first, but he soon wraps an arm around my unprotected midsection. That alone makes me feel warmer almost instantly. I feel a bit of heat rise to my cheeks. Is that because... no, I-James... Hmph. I push any remaining thoughts out of my mind lest I frustrate myself further.

Meowth soon jumps down from the tree and points a paw to the left of us. "It looks ta me like there's a town over there. It's our best bet if we wanna make it outta t'is storm alive." He bounds in that direction and James and I soon follow.

One half-hour walk later and we come across the most beautiful sight I've seen in ages. Thankfully this town is on the edge of the storm, so the wind isn't so bad. We all seem to sigh in relief once in its boundaries. We make a beeline for the nearest building to finally thaw ourselves.

As the door crashes behind us, I begin to take in our surroundings. We landed ourselves in a quaint little noodle shop. My stomach gives another rumble as the nearly intoxicating aromas wash over me. Meowth clutches his abdomen. "At least we finally have a chance to eat somet'ing."

"You folks hungry?" the man behind the counter asks. We nod our heads. He sets three steaming bowls of noodles on the counter with a smile. I reach into my pocket and fumble with what little change I have left. The man shakes his hand. "No, this one's on the house. After all, it's Christmas Eve, right?"

"Christmas...?" I begin to mumble before giving the place another good look. The counter is strung with garland, a wreath is hanging from the window, and there's even a tiny Christmas tree at the end of the counter. I pick the bowls up. "Thank you," I say with a weary smile.

James and Meowth have already settled themselves into a booth next to a heater. I hand them their bowls and soon we all have the taste of food on our lips again. That seems to be a Christmas miracle in itself.

The sensation of a full stomach is one that I have not felt in weeks. We simultaneously give a happy sigh as we clean out the bowls. Shoving the empty thing aside, I rest my head on the counter. The idea of sleep is so welcoming, but the thoughts that run through my head are enough to keep me awake. There's several minutes of silence before I hear James' voice. "J-Jessie? Are you okay?"

"I wanna quit Team Rocket," I finally mumble. James' face isn't the one of distressed surprise that I am so used to when I bring up the idea. He just simply says, "Really?"

I look down. "I'm just so sick and tired of us chasing some twerp's useless Pikachu and for what? Endless days where we don't even eat, having to face whatever Mother Nature throws at us in these flimsy uniforms, and let's not forget the constant explosions that stupid pokemon and dumb luck send us through almost daily."

I gesture at the man behind the counter. "We could have a life like his: no worries about food or shelter, and I bet he doesn't get electrocuted by some mangy rat on a weekly basis."

I close my eyes, expecting reprimand from my teammate on how I should be more loyal to our boss, but what James says next surprises me.

"Okay, then. I will to."

I sit up and look him in the eye. It's hard to believe that the most loyal member in Team Rocket history is just quitting like that. I eye him suspiciously, but he just gives a sweet little smile in return. We both look at Meowth to hear his say on everything.

He sighs. "Y'know, we've been expecting from ta' boss some sorta raise, any raise, for _years_. And we've been workin' our butts off for it. If the big guy ain't gonna deliver, and I doubt he eva' will, I'm out. Quittin's sounding real good right now." He grins. "Who knows? Maybe I can get my old job back at that noodle restaurant in Sinnoh."

I look at the faces across from me. "So it's settled then?"

James nods, a fist raised and a look of determination on his features. "This Team Rocket's blast off for the last time!"

Meowth smacks a paw on the table. "Yeah! And ya know what? I bet Giovanni won't even miss us, 'cause we sure as heck won't miss him!"

My features melt into a rare, genuine smile, comforted by the fact that we didn't split up this time just because of a petty feud. We're still in this together, as friends.

I look outside the window to the snow falling. "Tomorrow's Christmas."

James grins. "I think we should get presents for each other."

I bring out the money sitting in my pocket. Fifteen dollars and some-odd cents. "I don't think I can afford presents for both of you."

James looks at me. "You can just get something for Meowth, then. Seeing yo- um, my friends happy is a great present by itself."

Meowth mumbles something that I'm just barely able to hear. "... Yeah, and if you're gonna do what I t'ink you will, Jimmy, there might be a miracle on your way."

James' face flushes as he elbows Meowth. The cat just snickers.

I stand up. "So, meet you back here?" They both nod. As I open the door to go outside, I can hear James hiss, "Just great, Meowth, now you've given me the jitters!"

"Merry Christmas, Jimbo."

Getting a gift for Meowth should be easy. A quick stroll leads me down the street and I enter a nearby pet store. There on the first aisle sits his favorite canned cat food. He's stopped eating this to save on funds, so I think it'll be nice for him to have this again.

I walk out of the store with the can in hand. I have five dollars left. This should be enough for a ball of yarn. I can see a fabric store a block or so away. On the way there, though, something in a store window catches my eye. I gasp as I look at some of the most beautiful wedding dresses I've ever seen.

I've always dreamed about a fairy-tail love story. One where my true love would whisper how much he loved me and would present me a beautiful engagement ring with fireworks in the background. And our wedding would be so extravagant. The church would be filled, I would walk in wearing the most gorgeous gown anyone's ever seen, we would say heartfelt and touching vows, say our "I do's", and he would twirl me around before finally...

I'm getting off track. What was I, oh yes. The yarn. I try to pull myself from my thoughts. "Besides," I think to myself. "Who could ever truly love me anyway. I'm not exactly the sweetest person I know."

The bell jingles over the door as I come inside the store. There's an entire rack of different kinds of yarn, but I pick out the fluffiest one. Meowth will definitely love this.

I hand the rest of my money to the lady at the checkout, then exit the store with the yarn tucked under my arm. By now the snow has mostly stopped. Puffy white flurries drift past me as I walk back to the noodle shop. As I pass the wedding gowns again, I give them one last fleeting gaze before I sigh out of depression.

The shop owner greets me with a friendly smile. "Your friends beat you here." I turn to the booth we were all sitting at earlier to see Meowth and James beaming at me.

I dash over to where they're sitting and plop myself in the seat across from them. I pull out the canned food and yarn. "Merry Christmas, Meowth!"

He greedily grabs his gifts. "Oh, Jessie, you know yarn is my guilty pleasure." He elbows the violet-haired man sitting next to him, beginning to dig his claws in the string. "Now c'mon, James. Give her the t'ing."

James face grows red. " _Don't rush me!_ "

I cock my head to the side. "You got me something?"

James stares at me nervously before finally forcing himself to breathe. "Jessie," he starts out.

"Yes?"

He breathes again. "We've both known each other since we were little. You've been my best friend for as long as I can remember. We've been through so much together, and I know these past few years haven't been the best. But being together, w-with you, have made them some of the best to me.

My eyes widen. Is he really saying this? No, no, he probably means something else.

He takes my hand and holds it in his. I suck in my breath. James pauses for another moment. "... Over the years, I've... developed something for you. At first I thought it would go away, but with every one of your smiles, every time I saw your confidence burst whenever we executed a new plan, every time you've touched me, I saw that I was hopelessly in love."

My face flushes. I never knew that James felt this way... About me of all people.

He gives a small smile as his face turns the same shade of red as mine. "You told me once that you can be really self conscious about yourself at times, why you take time for hair and accessories in the middle of the wilderness, but I think youre perfect in every way. Your eyes, your smile, your hair, your personality, your figure; everything shines about you, and I love every bit about it."

My eyes brim with tears at hearing this. I did tell him once that I had doubts about myself, a really, really long time ago, but I never expected him to ever remember. Or to sincerely complement me in this way. "James, why are you saying this?"

He pulls out a small velvet box. "Because I want to ask you..." He scoots himself out of the booth and onto the floor. He kneels in front of me. I can't believe it, this is happening. This is really and truly happening.

"Jessica, would you do me the honor... of becoming my wife?"

Tears spill onto my cheeks as he opens the box. It was a simple ring with a small diamond on the top, but I now see that it doesn't matter. It's beautiful because it's mine.

A loud **bang** sounds behind me. I turn my head to see confetti raining down and an empty party popper in the store owners hand. "I was saving these for New Year's, but what the heck."

I turn back to him, the second smile today spreading across my face. "James, you bumbling idiot..." I fall onto the floor with him, burying my face into his neck in an embrace. I mumble the loudest "Of course I will" I can muster.

He holds me for a moment, there on the floor of a noodle shop, before he pulls his head up, a soft grin gracing his features. "Merry Christmas, Jessie."

James lifts my chin up and our lips meet for the first time.


End file.
